Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tianjin and Beijing (Pekin)

For one person, living is cheaper in Tianjin: $885 a month against $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Tianjin
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Tianjin Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Beijing (Pekin)
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Beijing (Pekin) Living Index

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Tianjin

🇨🇳 China

$885

/mo nomad

Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tianjin and in Beijing (Pekin)

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tianjin and in Beijing (Pekin) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $885 per month in Tianjin vs $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Tianjin $885
Beijing (Pekin) $1,184

A couple spends around $1,368 per month in Tianjin vs $1,916 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Tianjin $1,368
Beijing (Pekin) $1,916

A family of three spends $1,850 per month in Tianjin vs $2,647 in Beijing (Pekin), rent included.

Tianjin $1,850
Beijing (Pekin) $2,647

Tianjin is about 25% cheaper than Beijing (Pekin), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Tianjin and Beijing (Pekin) are more affordable than the global median – Tianjin 34% lower, Beijing (Pekin) 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.12 ¥27.58

$4.47 ¥29.86

-7.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.49 ¥157

$29.66 ¥198

-20.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.86 ¥39.19

$5.21 ¥34.80

12.48%

Cappuccino

$4.09 ¥27.37

$3.72 ¥24.86

9.95%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ¥3.12

$0.50 ¥3.34

-6.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.88

$0.26 ¥1.73

7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ¥6.32

$1.17 ¥7.84

-19.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.22

$1.66 ¥11.07

1.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ¥9.59

$1.65 ¥11.05

-12.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 ¥15.59

$1.76 ¥11.74

32.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.09

$1.27 ¥8.51

30.71%

Eggs

$1.27 ¥8.49

$1.88 ¥12.55

-32.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.76 ¥98.7

$14.65 ¥98.0

0.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 ¥24.18

$3.15 ¥21.03

14.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.61 ¥64.2

$11.03 ¥73.8

-12.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.09

$2.02 ¥13.53

-17.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.39

$1.72 ¥11.47

-9.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.47

$2.08 ¥13.94

-17.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 ¥7.94

$1.55 ¥10.35

-23.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ¥5.61

$0.72 ¥4.82

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.83

$0.85 ¥5.68

37.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ¥4.46

$0.69 ¥4.60

-2.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥4.77

$0.61 ¥4.10

16.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.31 ¥35.48

$4.32 ¥28.88

22.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.36 ¥89.3

$14.10 ¥94.3

-5.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 ¥7.09

$1.01 ¥6.76

4.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 ¥17.05

$1.82 ¥12.17

40.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.70 ¥4.67

-58.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.96 ¥59.9

$34.48 ¥231

-74.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 ¥10.66

$1.92 ¥12.84

-17.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.35

$0.33 ¥2.19

6.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 ¥42.78

$7.67 ¥51.3

-16.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥8.26

$1.34 ¥8.93

-7.46%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.3K ¥129.2K

$19.3K ¥128.9K

0.24%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$17.5K ¥116.8K

$18.3K ¥122.3K

-4.53%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$93.3 ¥624

$57.3 ¥383

62.82%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$6.26 ¥41.87

$9.13 ¥61.0

-31.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.37 ¥49.26

$14.22 ¥95.1

-48.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.59 ¥111

$42.34 ¥283

-60.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.42 ¥69.7

$24.61 ¥165

-57.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ¥51.2

$7.40 ¥49.48

3.38%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$651 ¥4,355

$660 ¥4,410

-1.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥161.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 ¥376

$69.8 ¥467

-19.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.41 ¥197

$39.69 ¥265

-25.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 ¥735

$88.9 ¥594

23.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 ¥914

$127 ¥849

7.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$333 ¥2,226

$940 ¥6,286

-64.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$249 ¥1,662

$524 ¥3,501

-52.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$634 ¥4,242

$2,319 ¥15.5K

-72.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 ¥3,066

$1,128 ¥7,542

-59.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,307 ¥35.5K

$12.4K ¥82.8K

-57.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,349 ¥15.7K

$6,284 ¥42.0K

-62.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,188 ¥7,942

$1,713 ¥11.5K

-30.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.54

3.12

13.46%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Tianjin: October 10, 2026

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Tianjin

$249 28.1%

Beijing (Pekin)

$524 44.2% 111% $275

Groceries & Markets

Tianjin

$224 25.3%

Beijing (Pekin)

$227 19.2% 1.2% $2.6

Clothing & Footwear

Tianjin

$149 16.9%

Beijing (Pekin)

$146 12.4% 2.1% $3.1

Eating Out

Tianjin

$111 12.5%

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1% 2.4% $2.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tianjin

$107 12.1%

Beijing (Pekin)

$81 6.8% 24.6% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Tianjin

$32 3.6%

Beijing (Pekin)

$57 4.8% 79.2% $25

Getting Around

Tianjin

$13 1.5%

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5% 204% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $333 in Tianjin versus $940 in Beijing (Pekin). Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 44% higher in Beijing (Pekin), which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Tianjin versus $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin). Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $224 vs $227 – making Tianjin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Tianjin

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🕒 Local time

16:26 4:26 PM

Same time as Tianjin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,866,009

21,893,095 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Tianjin vs Beijing (Pekin): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,328 per month in Tianjin and $1,775 in Beijing (Pekin). That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tianjin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Tianjin and $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin). That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $885 in Tianjin and $1,184 in Beijing (Pekin). That's a gap of about 34%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tianjin, where all-in costs run around $885, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,184. In Tianjin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tianjin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Tianjin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Beijing (Pekin) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.